Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s New Supreme Leader?

Mojtaba Khamenei was elected Iran’s new Supreme Leader on March 9 by the Assembly of Experts, following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an Israeli airstrike.

Born September 8, 1969, in Mashhad, he is the second son of Ali Khamenei and has long been considered one of the most influential figures inside the leader’s office.

After finishing school, he studied religious sciences in Qom, Iran’s main theological center.

In his youth he participated in the Iran-Iraq War, serving in the “Mohammad Rasulollah” division, where he developed ties with future figures in Iran’s security establishment.

Although he never held formal government posts, Mojtaba Khamenei was widely seen as a powerful behind-the-scenes figure and a key aide to his father.

He has close ties with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and is known for supporting a hardline approach in foreign policy.

He is married to the daughter of Ghulam Ali Haddad Adel, a prominent conservative politician, strengthening his connections with Iran’s political elite.

In recent years he taught religious jurisprudence (fiqh) in Qom, where he increasingly came to be referred to as “Ayatollah.”

In 2019, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Mojtaba Khamenei as part of measures targeting figures close to Iran’s leadership.